Responding to MPs’ rejection of the House of Lords’ amendments to the Welfare Reform Bill in the House of Commons today (Wednesday 1 February 2012), Liz Carroll, Director of Policy and Research at Breast Cancer Care said:

Breast Cancer Care, the leading breast cancer support and information charity in the UK, has produced a new report, backed by Age UK, that makes clear recommendations to improve outcomes and experiences for older women with breast cancer, a demographic proven to have poorer relative survival rates and an increased likelihood of presenting later with symptoms and of receiving non-standard treatments.

The results of this large-scale study are very reassuring as they confirm that current NICE guidance1 , which recommends annual mammograms for women over 40 who are at an increased risk of breast cancer, is effective.

Statement from Breast Cancer Care on research presented by Dr Azim at the seventh European Breast Cancer Conference which suggests that pregnancy does not increase the risk of recurrence in women who have had breast cancer.

Statement from Breast Cancer Care on research presented by Heemskerk-Gerritsen and Pierce at the seventh European Breast Cancer Conference on surgical options for patients with inherited breast cancer.

Statement from Breast Cancer Care on research from the Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, presented to the seventh European Breast Cancer Conference on the use of beta-blockers to help reduce metastasis and improve survival in breast cancer patients.

Statement from Breast Cancer Care on research from the University of Frankfurt presented to the European Breast Cancer Conference which suggests that pregnant women can receive chemotherapy for breast cancer without endangering the health of their babies.

Statement from Breast Cancer Care on research from the Leiden University Medical Centre presented to the European Breast Cancer Conference which suggests that women from lower socioeconomic groups have a poorer breast cancer survival rates

Statement from Breast Cancer Care on research from the University of Dundee that establishes a link between deprivation and the p53 gene to explain why women from poorer backgrounds are less likely to survive breast cancer.

These proposals will give breast cancer patients clarity on how quickly they can expect to seen. The pledge to reduce waiting times is extremely welcome as we know that unnecessary waiting can cause great anxiety for patients and their families.

Jane Hatfield, Director of Policy and Campaigns at Breast Cancer Care, said:
"There has been some improvement in the number of women offered immediate reconstruction since the first annual audit, however it is unacceptable that the majority are still not given this option."